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Ray K.

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Posts posted by Ray K.

  1. I would like to know how that turns out. When I purchased my '82, it already had quick-ratio steering arms. Although it does steer quicker, it does not seem to steer as sharp as other cars I have owned, and U-turns are wide. I have nothing to compare it to, as I have never driven an Avanti II with regular steering arms. There may be something wrong with my front end, so I would appreciate knowing whether you notice any difference in turning radius before and after the transplant. Thanks-

    Ray

  2. My Quick Ratio Steering Arms arrived today from Stud Intl ( $115 pair).

    A sticker says " Made In China "

    Should I be concerned ????

    We plan to work on the bad steering on my 78 Avanti II next month. The Steering column is

    Chrysler and the Steering Box looks like a 67 Dodge Truck unit. The WORM gear is shot. Might as well put the new steering arms on in addition.

    In anyone has any "lessons learned" on this repair, let me know.

    Thanks, Jerry.

  3. Did this start happening after a change in engines or carburetors?

    If the idle is too high you will get a rough engage.

    Does the transmission take a long time to shift out of 1st gear under light acceleration?

    A loose pinion yoke.

    U joints will make noise but usually produce vibrations when you're driving also. Any roughness on accel or decel?

    Usually it's the simple things so try reducing idle 1st...easiest and cheapest.

    ErnieR

  4. Whenever I put my 82 into gear (drive or reverse), there is a loud "clunk" from the underside of the car, and the car jumps slightly forward or backward as the case may be. I don't know if it comes from the differential or transmission. I am leaning towards too much backlash in the pinion/ring gear; then again, the backlash could be correct, and the transmission could be dumping too much kinetic energy into the drive shaft over too short of a period. Other than that, the car runs fine. I don't know much about automatics. Is there an oil pressure adjustment on the transmission that would reduce this problem, or should I open the rear end and adjust the backlash? The car has a GM 350 crate motor, TH200-R4 transmission, and Dana 40 rear.

  5. Does anyone have a part number for a gas cap to fit a '78 Avanti?

    I bought a cap at my local Autozone last October for my '82. I had lost the original as the result of a hasty fill-up, so I had nothing but memory to go on. They let me take home the two caps that I reckoned were closest, and luckily one fit perfectly and did not interfere with the door. According to my receipt that is CST Fuel Cap 6817 (Autozone #004371). The other cap (which I returned) was CST Fuel Cap 6822 (Autozone #009595). Or it could be the other way around, but I'm 90% sure this is correct.

    Ray

  6. As a member of AACA, I would like to get in touch with fellow Avanti II owners who are also AACA members regarding recently-adopted judging guidelines. If you own a 66-83 Avanti and are a member of AACA, please respond. Thanks-

  7. I concur with the leakage diagnosis. As far as carpet cleaning goes, antifreeze (glycol-based as well as others) is 100% soluble in water, so once the carpet is removed you can wash it with mild detergent and water, and rinse it with a garden hose. Most carpets are acrylic or polypropylene and should not shrink. If your carpet is wool or some other exotic material, you might consider dry cleaning.

  8. I found a perfect fit at the local Advance Auto. For future reference, it is part #6817, manufactured by Cooling Systems Technologies. It "clicks" when snug, so you can turn it to a position where there is no interference between the tabs and the fuel compartment door.

    By the way, Joe, your car is the spittin' image of mine except for the wheels. I went with original Studebaker Avanti reproduction wheel covers. Not as sporty, but real easy to keep clean!

    Ray

  9. On my '81 I matched up a "screw" style cap with one at an auto parts store. My '81 needs the newer style, threaded, screw on cap.

    I had to modify it by grinding off the twist tabs, so as to allow the car door flap to fully close.

    Paul

    Later, I did one better, and bought a basic old style smoothie "chrome" cap. All I was after was the shiny part, so the application didn't matter.... kind of resembles a baby moon hub cap.... then, I carefully disassembled/destroyed it, saving only that shiny top.

    I then epoxied this shiny top onto my existing cap, after trial fitting and plastic filing/grinding, to make sure the new modified cap allowed my door flap to fully close. Looks cool, like an old style cap on the modern tank end.

  10. I am the owner of a 1972 Avanti II with a factory four speed and I am doing some cleaning and detailing

    underneath the car. I have a couple of questions. It appears that I have 3 fuel lines running back to the

    gas tank and I am not sure what the function of that many lines would be. I would also like to know if my

    car has flanged axles.

    Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.

    I am not an expert. but it seems to me that 1972 was a bit early for the "3-line" fuel delivery system. I agree that one line was for delivery, one for return, and one for gasoline fume capture by an under-hood charcoal canister. But, since catalytic converters themselves were not required until 1973. it is a mystery to me why a 1972 car would have an unvented gas tank.

  11. The A/C on my '82 (RQB 3420) died. I traced the problem down to a broken A/C fan speed controller rheostat switch - the one with "AIR" on the knob, located on the vertical console panel. The switch is of ceramic construction, about 1 3/4 inches diameter, and has spade lug connectors for 2 wires on the back. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement, or what will interchange with this switch?

    Ray

  12. Ray-

    It sounds like the TV cable may be out of adjustment or broken. (the TV cable goes from the carb to the trans) To adjust it, press in the adjustment button on the cable housing sleeve near the carb, and press the inner sleeve of the cable housing back towards the firewall. Now, release the adjustment button and move the throttle to to wide-open. You should hear the cable adjuster click as it sets. Then take a test drive and see if this helped. If this is un-clear, take a look in a GM shop manual, once you see it it's easy to do.

    In '82 I believe the torque converter lock-up was controlled by the computer.

    Hope this helps,

    Adam

    That was easy! The first time I adjusted it, the car shifted too late - 2500-3000 RPM in normal street driving. I backed the cable off a bit, and now it shifts perfectly. ;)

    Thanks, Adam

    Ray

  13. Ray-

    It sounds like the TV cable may be out of adjustment or broken. (the TV cable goes from the carb to the trans) To adjust it, press in the adjustment button on the cable housing sleeve near the carb, and press the inner sleeve of the cable housing back towards the firewall. Now, release the adjustment button and move the throttle to to wide-open. You should hear the cable adjuster click as it sets. Then take a test drive and see if this helped. If this is un-clear, take a look in a GM shop manual, once you see it it's easy to do.

    In '82 I believe the torque converter lock-up was controlled by the computer.

    Hope this helps,

    Adam

  14. My '82 has a carbureted GM crate 350 and TH200-4R automatic (16 bolts fasten the pan, shaped roughly like "Nevada"). The car shifts too early in normal driving, going from one gear to the next at too low an RPM. I have taken to shifting manually to prevent damage to the transmission. I know next to nothing about automatics, but I have read about the "detent cable" and/or "kickdown cable" that must be properly adjusted or damage can occur. Is misadjustment of this cable causing my car to shift early?

    Also - does the '82 Avanti have a computer, and is the transmission computer-controlled?

  15. I figured why my Avanti wheels were locking up while the car was on jack stands. For safety's sake, I had placed the jackstands under the frame members on either side. This allowed the differential to "hang" on the leaf springs. As a result, the driveshaft lowered and came into contact with the exhaust pipe that goes to the left muffler, effectively binding the driveshaft (and the wheels) from turning. Placing a floor jack under the differential center housing and raising it just enough to allow the driveshaft to clear the exhaust pipe made it possible to turn the wheels and count the ratio.

    The differential is definitely Twin-Traction, as both wheels turn in the same direction. A chalk mark on the driveshaft turned exactly 3 revolutions in approximately 325 degrees of wheel rotation. The axle ratio is therefore approximately (360/325) x 3 = 3.32. This is consistent with the 3.31 ratio known to have been used. The differential housing cover also has the same pattern as that for Dana, which I was able to find on the Web ( http://www.nationwideparts.com/differentials.htm )

  16. While checking the lube level in the differential housing of my '83 (RQB 3420), I noticed a rusty steel tag attached to one of the bolts. Wire-brushing brought up the number "4.10". The previous owner had told me the rear was an original Studebaker rear with 3.42 gears. I jacked up one wheel in order to count the ratio (ie, number of drive shaft revolutions for 2 turns of one rear wheel, assuming an open rear), but the free wheel wouldn't turn (trans in neutral, brake off). So, assuming a Twin-Traction rear, I jacked up both rear wheels, but neither wheel would turn, in either direction. I started the car in neutral, shifted into drive, and both wheels ran forward, with no obvious indications of dragging brakes. I put it back into neutral and turned the engine off, but I still could not turn the rear wheels by hand. The driveshaft was also locked.

    Four questions:

    1. Is this situation normal, or is there something wrong with my car?

    2. Did Studebaker offer 4.10 gears (or 3.42, for that matter)?

    3. How do I tell if this is a genuine Studebaker rear?

    4. What differences between the Twin-Traction and open rear can be observed through the filler plug hole?

  17. I recently replaced the wheels on my 82 Avanti (RQB3420) with 5 x 4 1/2 bolt pattern wheels from a Mopar. However, the center hole on the Mopar wheels is 2 13/16, whereas the Avanti hub diameter is 2 7/16. I have been told that the wheel bolts are there to hold the wheel to the hub, and are not designed to support the weight of the vehicle. Vehicle weight is supposed to be supported by the center hub (end of the axle that pokes through the center hole of the wheel). Evidently, after-market wheels with too-large center holes have been used without incident, but I doubt that the government or insurance companies are keeping any statistics on wheel failure from this source. According to the website :

    http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html

    a spacer ring should be placed between the hub and wheel. I have been unsuccessful in locating spacer rings for this purpose. Does anyone know where such rings are available?

  18. My '82 (RQB 3420) is chromed steel. You can tell the difference between chromed steel and stainless by its appearance. Chromed steel (or better yet, "triple plate" consisting of copper, then nickel, topped with chrome) will take on a brilliant shine having a slightly bluish tone. Done right, you should have a mirror finish good enough to shave in. Stainless steel consists of an alloy of iron, nickel, and chrome. It does not take on as brilliant a shine as chrome, and will have a slightly yellowish cast when compared to chrome.

    I can't help you on locating replacement parts. I would suggest finding a plating shop with experience with antique/classic cars.

  19. My 1971 Avanti is really upsetting the Green Peace folks with her dirty exhaust. I have replaced the Carburator, Spark Plugs and Wires, Reset the timing, leaned out the carb, New Vacuum lines (thus no leaks), new distributor cap and rotor. Cylinder compression is 145 + in all cylinders. I have got to get this beast to pass the smog test, and idesa ??? George Wendell BrownWtrSailr@aol.com

    I didn't know that smog checks applied to 1971 vehicles. Catalytic converters and their required unleaded gas didn't hit the streets until '73 or '74. If you're blowing a lot of visible smoke, then either the engine's burning oil or the choke is stuck. Either one of these situations will kill (overload) a catalytic converter, if your car is so equipped. Since you have good compression, the rings are OK, and that is not a problem. The other way oil gets burned is by getting past one or more intake valve seals. Other problems could be a blocked PCV valve or dirty air filter.

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